Wisconsin Army National Guard aviators conducted wildfire suppression training April 13, 2026, at Fort McCoy, honing their ability to respond to real-world fire emergencies using UH-60 Black Hawk helicopters equipped with Bambi buckets.
Aircrews with the Madison-based 1st Battalion, 147th Aviation Regiment trained on the installation’s South Post, practicing water pickup and aerial drop techniques critical to combating wildfires.
During the training, crews used Bambi buckets suspended beneath their helicopters to dip water from Big Sandy Lake before delivering it to simulated fire targets.
The training emphasized precision flying, crew coordination, and rapid water delivery—key skills required during wildfire response missions.
Bambi buckets, which can carry hundreds of gallons of water, allow helicopter crews to quickly access nearby water sources and deliver targeted drops in areas inaccessible to ground crews.
Fort McCoy has long served as a premier location for this type of training due to its size, infrastructure, and available water sources.
The installation’s controlled training environment allows crews to conduct realistic fire-suppression scenarios without crossing public roadways, enhancing safety and efficiency, Fort McCoy Directorate of Plans, Training, Mobilization and Security officials said.
This annual training also builds on established partnerships between the Wisconsin National Guard, the Fort McCoy Fire Department, and natural resources personnel in past years. These collaborative efforts often coincide with prescribed burn operations on the installation, giving aircrews the opportunity to train in conditions similar to actual wildfire responses. The Black Hawk crews practiced separately in 2026.
Wisconsin National Guard aviation units routinely conduct Bambi bucket training each year to maintain readiness for state and national emergency missions, Wisconsin National Guard officials said. The training prepares crews not only for incidents within Wisconsin, but also for deployments to other states through mutual aid agreements, where Black Hawk crews have supported wildfire suppression efforts in places such as California.
By completing the April 13 training, Wisconsin National Guard aircrews are also likely to reinforce their capability to rapidly deploy and deliver lifesaving aerial firefighting support when called upon — ensuring they remain ready to protect communities and natural resources during wildfire season.
Fort McCoy’s motto beginning in 2026 is “Training the Total Force and Shaping the Future since 1909.”
The installation’s mission: “Fort McCoy strengthens Total Force Readiness by serving as a training center, Mobilization Force Generation Installation, and Strategic Support Area enabling warfighter lethality to deploy, fight, and win our nation’s wars.”
And Fort McCoy’s vision is, “To be the premier training center supporting the most capable, combat-ready, and lethal armed forces.”
Located in the heart of the upper Midwest, Fort McCoy is the only U.S. Army installation in Wisconsin. The installation has provided support and facilities for the field and classroom training of more than 100,000 military personnel from all services nearly every year since 1984.
Learn more about Fort McCoy online at https://home.army.mil/mccoy, on Facebook by searching “ftmccoy,” on Flickr at https://www.flickr.com/photos/fortmccoywi, and on X (formerly Twitter) by searching “usagmccoy.” Also try downloading the My Army Post app to your smartphone and set “Fort McCoy” or another installation as your preferred base. Fort McCoy is also part of Army’s Installation Management Command where “We Are The Army’s Home.”